growth/size/body
• weight is normal at birth but decreases by about 20% in the female and 25% in male by P20
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skeleton
• 36% of mutants exhibit malformed skeletons
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• 4% of mutants display a ventral median tubercle at the caudal edge of the basioccipital bone
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• 15 of 50 mutants exhibit agenesis of the metoptic pillar
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• basioccipital bone eventually fused with the anterior arch of the atlas
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• 15 of 75 (20%) mutants show fusion of C1-AA with C2 dens
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• 2 of 75 (3%) mutants show a bifid C1
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• 5 of 75 (7%) mutants show a bifid C2
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• 10% of mutants display malformations of the neural arches of the first three cervical vertebrae
• 2 of 75 (3%) show dyssymphysis of C1 neural arch
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• 2 of 75 (3%) mutants show fusions of neural arches of C2 and C3
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• mutants display some homeotic transformations
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• 11% of mutants exhibit posterior transformation of C7 to T1
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vision/eye
• 15 of 50 mutants exhibit agenesis of the metoptic pillar
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• about 8% of adults have cataracts
• cataracts are characterized by a disruption of the lens basement membrane and disorganization of the lens fibers in contact with the PHPV
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• 86% of mutants exhibit a persistent and hyperplastic primary vitreous body (PHPV)
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• the mutants that have a retrolenticular mass within the vitreous body, contain a persistent hyaloid artery and vein
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• display a mild reduction of the palpebral aperture at E14.5
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retina fold
(
J:43344
)
• congenital folds of the retina are seen in 4 of 10 mutants at E18.5
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• 85% of mutants exhibit an abnormal retrolenticular mass of pigmented tissue within the vitreous body; this mass exhibits a large base adherent to the lens and contains a persistent hyaloid artery and vein
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craniofacial
• 4% of mutants display a ventral median tubercle at the caudal edge of the basioccipital bone
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• 15 of 50 mutants exhibit agenesis of the metoptic pillar
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• basioccipital bone eventually fused with the anterior arch of the atlas
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limbs/digits/tail
N |
• limbs appear normal
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nervous system
N |
• nervous system appears normal
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respiratory system
• mutant neonates display premature subdivision (septation) of the gas-exchange saccules of the immature lung and form alveoli twice as fast as wild-type mice during the period of septation but not thereafter
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• between P4 and P21, the rate of alveolus formation is 2x faster in mutant than in wild-type mice; however, similar rates are observed between P21 and P68
• no significant differences in alveolar surface area are observed at any age
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• at P4 and P21, mutants display significantly fewer large alveolar saccules than age-matched wild-type controls
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